A to Z Reasons to Look Forward to “A to Z”

We learned a little more about the relationship-themed TV series during NBC’s Television Critics Association presentation. According to HitFix, the show’s setup is seemingly inspired by “Sesame Street,” as each episode will be represented by a letter.

We decided to follow their lead and come up with 26 reasons you’ll fall in love with the show – one for each letter of the alphabet.

A is for Adorkable – Andrew (Ben Feldman) and Zelda (Cristin Milioti) are going to be the most adorkable couple on TV (sorry, “New Girl” and “The Mindy Project”). You just have to forget that they’re being played by the dead Mother and the guy who cut his nipple off.

B is for Bad Bosses – The “Sesame Street” theme extends to Andrew’s workplace, where he has a boss nicknamed “Big Bird” (Christina Kirk). According to Deadline, she’s more concerned about making money than making sure that customers are satisfied.

C is for Chemistry – Milioti and Feldman reportedly had “electric chemistry” when they tested for their roles, and you can feel it when their characters first lock eyes in the “A to Z” trailer. Milioti looks like a modern-day Audrey Hepburn, and Feldman looks mesmerized.

D is for Destiny – Andrew believes in it, Zelda doesn’t.

E is for Ending – “There will be an ending, by ending we mean a change,” executive producer Rashida Jones said during the TCAs. “Relationships change all the time. Our hope is to put the ticking clock on it will help people to invest in whatever that change is.”

F is for Friends – Andrew and Zelda aren’t the only characters on the show – they also have a few friends who play a part in their epic romance. Henry Zebrowski told Zap2it that his eccentric character Stu gives Andrew unsolicited bad advice, but he points out that bad advice can actually turn out to be helpful. Lenora Crichlow plays Stephie, a “champion of love” who helps an overly-cautious Zelda realize that she needs to take a chance if she wants to find real romance.

G is for Ginsberg’s Nipple – If you miss seeing Feldman on “Mad Men,” check him out on “A to Z.” His other nipple is back, and hopefully the rest of his body will remain intact.

H is for “How I Met Your Mother” – “A to Z” could succeed where “HIMYM” failed by giving viewers a real happy ending.

I is for Internet Dating – Control-crazy Zelda tries internet dating to find a perfect match, and it works in a weirdly wonderful way. Andrew works for Wallflower, the dating site that Zelda uses. After being mismatched, she visits the company and runs into Andrew. This is where they realize that they’ve met before.

J is for Justice – In the trailer, Milioti is cute as a button in a Lady Justice costume. Her lawyer character is a fan of “themed cocktail parties” (in other words, she’s a female Ted Mosby).

K is for Kids – Andrew scares commitment-phobe Zelda off by talking about having kids (so he’s also a Ted Mosby).

L is for Love at First Sight – Andrew definitely experiences this when he first sees Zelda.

M is for Mother – The Mother is back, and this time she doesn’t have to be erased to make way for Aunt Robin. At the TCAs, Milioti made it clear that the “Z” in “A to Z” does not signify the death of a character. When the “How I Met Your Mother” casualty was asked about the possibility of getting killed off again, she quipped, “We’ve played that card, I believe.”

N is for Narrator – Katey Sagal narrates the show. According to Cultural Learnings, she’s a “character in her own right” who can be used “as a framework around which to play with non-linear storytelling.” There might even be a “Sliding Doors” episode that features parallel universes.

O is for The One – Andrew thinks Zelda is “The One,” but she’s not so sure about all that destiny stuff. According to Buzzfeed’s Jarett Wieselman, Milioti was asked if she believes in “The One” at the TCAs. Feldman responded to the question by asking her, “Is it me or Josh Radnor?”

P is for Pooch – Judging from one of the show’s promo photos, it looks like Zelda has an adorable hot dog-pilfering pet. There aren’t enough furry supporting stars on TV these days, so hopefully her fluffy friend gets plenty of screen time.

Q is for Queen – The show is loosely based on executive producer Ben Queen’s relationship with his wife. Maybe this means that Andrew and Zelda will get a happy ending that includes getting hitched.

R is for Rom-Com – Who says the rom-com is dead? It’s just moved to TV.

S is for Silver – Zelda’s silver dress is etched into Andrew’s mind, which is amazing because men usually don’t pay that much attention to what women wear.

T is for Titanic – How can you not adore a guy who risks crashing his car to sing along to the “Titanic” soundtrack?

U is for Unforgettable – Andrew can’t forget the girl in the silver dress, but will she turn out to be everything he dreamed of?

V is for Vow – You better vow to watch this show. Also, Andrew and Zelda better be saying some vows by the end of it.

W is for Warm-Hearted and Weird – These are a few of the words Milioti used to describe the show during an “Access Hollywood” interview.

X is for Xylitol – “A to Z” looks as sweet as Xylitol (that sweet sugar replacement used in some chewing gum).

Y is for Yay! – This is what rom-com fans have been waiting for.

Z is for Zelda – How awesome is the video game princess name Zelda? It’s way more awesome than the Mother’s boring moniker.

“A to Z” will air Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. this fall on NBC. Are you going to give the romance a chance?